Woodworking stands are stands that support heavy materials in the course of sawing, milling, or other operations that require the moving of the heavy materials relative to a tool. Generally, stands have been of two types: heavy, immobile, and expansive stands and flimsy, portable, and unstable stands. To date, the principal determining factor in the price and quality of a stand has being the mechanism for adjusting a height of the stand to correspond with the level of a tool.
As a rule, the adjusting mechanism for the most expensive stands comprises of the plurality of threaded shafts and stabilizing rods to ensure the head of the stand remains in constant orientation to its space. Rotating the threaded shafts simultaneously ensures that the stand remains orthogonal to the supporting stand and parallel to the plane of the tool. In many instances, the threaded shafts are in geared relationship one to the other to assure their simultaneous and precise rotation in response to the rotation of an additional handle. All of the mechanism necessary for the adjustment in height adds weight to the stand. Ultimately this weight limits the utility of the stand outside of a permanent woodworking shop. Such stands could not readily be brought to the job site.
The inexpensive stands generally use some form of wedges or threaded screws to fix the height of a sliding shaft. By holding the shaft at desired height and then tightening the wedge or threaded screw assembly the stand assumes a desired height. Such adjusting mechanisms are coarse in adjustment though mechanically simple. Generally, the shaft is allowed to slide feely in the stand in order to allow this coarse adjustment of height. Unfortunately, the same freedom of movement allowed the shaft to fall apart when transported to or from a job site.
The coarse adjustment possible with the inexpensive stands is generally unsatisfactory to a woodworker seeking a precise fit and finish in his woodworking products. The adjusting mechanisms tend to be sloppy and difficult to precisely adjust. Only with the greatest attention is one able to perfectly align the top of the stand with the table of the tool in question. Because of the coarseness of the adjustment it is also difficult to maintain the stand at the appropriate height.
What is needed in the art then is the adjustable stand that is both relatively inexpensive and capable of fine and precise adjustment.